Adjustable handle-bar for bicycles



.(No Model.) I 2 sheets-sheet 1.

G. M. BEARD. ADJUSTABLE HANDLE BAR FUR BIGYGLBS.

. No. 601,624. Patented Apr. 5, 1898.

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ATENT Finca GEORGE M. BEARD, OF ANGOLA, INDIANA.

ADJUSTABLE HANDLE-BAR FOR BICYCLES.v

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 601,624, dated April 5, 1898. Application filed october 24, 14896. Serial No. 609,944, (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE M. BEARD, a citizenof the United States, residing at Angola, in the county of Steuben, in the State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Handle- Bars for Bicycles and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ofV the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specication.

My invention relates to improvements in adjustable handle-bars for bicycles.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved two-part handle-bar simple and substantial in construction, efficient in operation, and so arranged that the steering-handles are adapted for a simultaneous vertical adjustment by means of a hand-lever,whereby the handle-bars can quickly and conveniently be adjusted to either a horizontal, a drop, or a raised position by the rider without dismounting or impeding the speed of the bicycle and without the use of a Wrench or other tool, the said handle-bar sections being so arranged as to take up all wear and slack and being adapted to be folded to nearly vertical position to economize space for storage.

My invention comprises a two-part handlebar whose sections are rotatably mounted in a .containing-head detachably mounted in a supporting-post, a vertically-arranged and lon gitudinally-slotted screw removably mounted in said head and adapted to engage the said handle-bar sections by a screw-threaded connection, and an operating hand-lever mounted on said screw by a screw-threaded connection and containing in one end thereof a spring-pressed catch or bolt adapted to holdingly .engage said screw, whereby the said handle-bar sections can be vertically and simultaneously adjusted by the rotation of said lever.

, The novel feature of my invention consists in the means for simultaneously adjusting the handle-bar sections without the use of a wrench or other tool.

Similar reference-numerals in the accompanying drawings indicate similar parts throughout the several views, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of my improvement, showing by dotted outline the range of vertical-adjustment of the handle-bar sections. Fig. 2 is a front view of the same, partly in vertical section and with the handle-bar sections removed to show the general arrangement of the operative parts. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan on the line oc of Fig. 2 with the handle-bar broken away, showing the manner in which the adj listing-screw engages the said handle-bar sections. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail of the spring-actuated catch in position in the operating hand-lever in vertical section. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the same with the containing portion of the handlever in horizontal section on the line A A of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a view in elevation of a modification of my improvement where a onepiece handle-bar is employed. Fig. 7 is another view of the same, partly in vertical section and with the handle-bar removed. Fig. 8 is a front view of the upper portion of the handle-bar-supporting head for the two-part handle-bar, showing the central slit or slot therein to admit of clamping said handle-bar sections in their sockets.

All parts of my improvement aremade of suitable metal.

The tubular handle-bar post l, of proper dimensions and adapted to bedetachably secured in the steering-fork in the usual or other proper manner, has its upper end internally screw-threaded and is provided with a head 2, removably mounted therein by means of a screw-threaded stem, as seen in Fig. 2. The said head 2, rectangular in outline, Fig. 3, has two parallel horizontal circular openings 3, adapted to receive and secure the inner ends ofthe handle-bar sections and has a vertical central perforation extending throughout its length, in which perforation the adjustingscrew 5 is rotatably mounted. The saidperforation,near its upper end, communicates with the said adjacent openings 3. The central portion of saidA head 2 is provided with a horizontalv slit lor slot 4, by means `of which the said handle-bar sections can be rigidly clamped in said openings 3.

The adj usting-screw 5 has its screw-threaded portion arranged intermediate -said openings 3 and is adapted for an actuating engagement with a correspondingly screw-threaded IOO portion on said handle-bar sections hereinafter described. The said screw 5 also has a reduced screw-threaded portion or stem 8, having a longitudinal slot 9 to receive the spring-pressed bolt or catch 12. vThe lower end of the said screw is provided with a terminal annular iiange. '7, adapted to form a bearing on the lower end of the said pendent stem of the head 2 to prevent longitudinal derangement of said screw in an upwardly direction. On the said screw 5 are loosely mounted the clamping-plates 10, having a plurality of balls 18 so arranged between them as to form a ball-bearing to lessen the friction incident to the operation of the hand-lever. lt is obvious that the said plates 10 and balls 1S may be omitted, though their use, if preferred, for the purpose of lessening the friction be tween the gripping-faces of the vhand-lever and the head 2 when locking and unlocking the handle-bar sections. Immediately above the said plates and by a screw-threaded connection with said stem S is revolubly mounted the handlever 11, having one end thereof centrally apertured for the bolt or catch 12, which under spring tension is adapted to engage the said slot 9 of the said stem. In the outer end of saidbolt-aperture is secured, by a screw-threaded connection, the sleeve 13, in which the said bolt is loosely mounted.

The bolt 12 has upon its inner end a head 15, adapted to engage the said slot 9 when placed in one position to prevent the rotation of said hand-lever relatively to said screw 5, Figs. 4 and 5, and is adapted to permit free rotation of said lever when disengaged from said slot. Between the said head 15 and the said sleeve 13 the coilspring, of proper strength and tension, is loosely mounted on said bolt. The outer end of said bolt 12 has a thumb-screw handle 16, by means of which the bolt can be withdrawn from its engagement with the slot 9 and rotated in its bearings. The outer end of the tubular portion of said lever 11 has a vertical slot, or, rather, two coincident radial slots, adapted to receive and secure said handle 16 when the said bolt 12 is engaged with said slot 9. Upon the upper end of the said screw-threaded stem 8 is mounted a proper screw-threaded cap 1 7, Figs. 2, 4, and 6, so arranged as to leave a small amount of play between the said cap and said hand-lever 11, but not enough space to prevent any displacement of said balls. The said hand-bar sections 19, having any desired curvature and of any proper material, have their inner ends rotatably mounted in the said openings 3 of the head 2 and are secured therein by proper washers 21 on the rear face of said head and the holdingscrews 22, Fig. The inner ends of the said handle-bar sections 19 are also provided with opposite and coincident concave annular 'faces 23, having transverse threads eut thereon, Fig. 2, adapted to engage the threaded portion 6 of said'screw 5, whereby rotating said screw 5 will simultaneously rotate the said handle-bar sections, but in opposite directions. The said sections 19 have removably fixed upon their free ends any proper handles 20.

A modified form of my invention is shown in Figs. G and 7, in which the handle-bar is in one piece, and consequently one of the said openings in the head 2 is omitted. In this modification the one-piece handle-bar has an annular concave face 23 midwayits ends,hav ing transverse threads thereon, as above described, adapted for an actuating engagement with the said screw 5, whereby the handle-bar can be rotated in said opening 3 into any de sired adjustment throughout the range of a complete circle by means of the lever 11 in the manner about to be described.

The operation of my invention thus described is, briefly stated, as follows: To adjust my twonpart handle-bar from a horizontal position to a lower or drop position, as shown in dotted outline in Fig. 1, the operator withdraws the spring-pressed bolt 12 from its engagement with the said slot 9 and gives the same a quarter-turn, thus permitting the free rotation of said hand-lever 11 on the screw 5.

He then rotates the lever 11 to the left sufficiently to relieve it from the binding pressure of said plates 10 and again places said bolt 12 in engagement with said slot 9, whereby the hand-lever and said screw 5 can be rotated together in either direction. Therefore rotating the screw 5 in one direction will lower the said handle-bar sections simultaneously and rotating them in the opposite direction will raise them because of the actuating engagement of said screw 5 with the annular screw-threaded faces 23 of said sections. As the faces 23 are annular the range of adjustment of each of said sections is nearly a half-circle. After the said handle-bar sections have been given the desired adjustment theoperator disengages the said bolt 12 from said slot 9 and gives it a quarter-turn, after which the engaging end of the head 15 will pass readily over the threads of said screw. He thus rotates the said lever on said screw in such direction as will spring or compress the slitted head 2 sufficiently to rigidly clamp and secure the said handle-bar sections in said position, after which it is immaterial whether or not the said bolt 12 is placed in engagement with said slot 9. It is obvious 4that the rider can readily make any desired adjustment of said handle-bar sections without the use of a wrench or other tool and without slaclrening the speed of his vehicle. This feature is of great practical utility, as a rider on approaching the ascent of a hill can quickly adjust his handle-bar to a drop position to give better leverage and ease of ascent and conveniently readj ust it for a level surface when desired.

`The operation of the modified form of my invention when a one-piece handle-bar is employed is as follows The construction, arrangement, and manner of operation of the IOO said hand-lever 1l and the screw 5 are in all respects identical with that above described. As the said one-piece handle-bar has an annular screw-threaded surface midway its ends adapted for an actuating engagement with the said screw 5, it is obvious the handle can be rotated in its bearing in either direction by the rotation of said screw 5 by means of the said lever 1l. Therefore when the operator desires to adjust the-handle-bar from the raised position shown in Fig. 6 to the drop position shown in dotted outline he simply rotates said handle one-half Way around, so that the handles will point forwardly, and then rotates the said post 1 in the usual manner in the steering-fork. This adjustment, however, is not designed to be made while the vehicle is in motion.

Having thus described my invention and the manner of employing the same, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent isl. The combination in a two-part handlebar of the post 1;V the handle-bar head 2 secured in said post by a tubular screw-threaded stem, and having the circular openings 3 ar-.

ranged in parallel relation for the purpose described, and having its central portion horizontally slotted to admit of clamping said handle-bar when mounted therein; the handle-bar sections 19 rotatably mounted in said openings 3 and provided upon their inner ends with the opposite and coincident screwthreaded annular faces 23 adapted to engage the adjusting-screw; the vertical adjustingscrew 5 rotatably7 mounted in said head as shown, between the said handle-bar sections and adapted for an actuating engagement with said faces 23, and provided with a reduced screw-threaded extension S havinga longitudinal slot 9; and a hand -lever 1l mounted on said extension by a screw-threaded connection and provided with a spring-I pressed catch-bolt loosely mounted therein as described and adapted for a holding engagement with said slot 9, all substantially as described.

2. The combination of the head 2 centrally slotted as shown, and provided with handlebar openings 3 in parallel arrangement and having a vertical central opening for the adjusting-screw; the handle-bar sections provthe said handle-bar sections and provided with a screw-threaded stem 8 longitudinally 6o slotted as shown; the plates 10 loosely mounted on said stem and having a plurality of balls 18 arranged as shown, for the purpose specified; and a hand -lever 11 rotatably mounted on said stem by a screw-threaded connection and havinga spring-pressed catch 12 arranged therein to holdingly engage said slotted stem for the purpose of rotating the said adj ustin g-screw 5, and a screw-threaded cap 17 adapted to limit the upward movement of4 said hand-lever, all substantially as described.

3. The combination of a centrally slitted or slotted handle-bar head 2 having a central vertical perforation for the adjusting-screw, a circular opening 3 for the handle-bar, so arranged as to communicate with said vertical perforation, and having a pendent support.

.'specified; and a hand-lever 1l rotatably mounted on said stem by a screw-threaded 

